March'sBook of the MonthDuck on a Bikewritten and illustrated by David Shannon

Sponsored by Hampton's

and by Newport New's

Can a duck ride a bike?

In this book a duck tries the impossible only to find that it really could be done. All the other barnyard animals thought the duck was crazy but they too soon joined in the adventure. When you develop the idea of pioneering new things with your child be sure to include discussing how important it is to be safe and to study and research the idea thoroughly before trying it. Talk with your children about how the Wright brothers did just that before taking their first flight, Alexander Bell's struggled to develop the telephone, how Thomas Edison worked hard to develop the phonograph, all instruments that have evolved into widespread use today. Talk about how a duck's wings are made for flying and not for steering and it's feet are made to paddle water and can not for pedaling bikes. This could be developed further by asking why airplanes fly and don't travel on roads or through tunnels, and trains run on tracks and do not fly through the air.